After
thirty years of design experience, Nancy Bauch’s work
is still her meditation. Her work is largely inspired by the
observations she makes of the earth…the opening in the
ice, the lines in a leaf, the texture of a rock, the
curve in a snowdrift, the light filtering through the forest
at dawn. Underlying all is the hidden unity that nurtures
her and breathes life into her pottery forms. Nancy goes into
nature every day. It is her library of ideas. And it trains
her eye to see.

Although
she originally tried to imitate nature in her art, she has
evolved to the point of working directly with the earth using
a more sustainable process. She collects natural elements
from her daily walking meditation in nature, and transforms
these elements into new objects that dramatize and honor their
beautiful qualities. She builds most pieces with clay or waxed
linen coils layer by layer. This slow process allows her to
contemplate the form while she is building it. By so doing,
each piece becomes an experiment that leads to the next experiment.

There
are numerous ways that Nancy’s art reflects her love
and respect for the earth. In addition to using natural elements,
she actively strives to simulate the imperfection and impermanence
of nature itself. Each hand-made piece reflects the philosophy
of “wabi sabi” an aesthetic that honors the beauty
of imperfection. Her work is a reflection to the variability
that is nature, and just as no two snowflakes are alike, so
too are each of her pieces unique in their beauty.